"That kind of things 'appens
sometimes when you're tramping. _They_ know," he added significantly.
"You see, it's my birthday to-day, and something like this always
'appens on my birthday. Last time it was a fish. I fell into the
stream and went right under. When I got out on to the bank again I
found a trout in my pocket. The time before I slept beside a haystack,
and when I awoke at sunrise I felt something warm and soft against my
face like feathers. It _was_ feathers. There was a 'en's nest two
inches from my nose, and six nice eggs in it all ready for my birthday
breakfast. I only ate four of them. You should never take all the
heggs out of a nest." He looked round at the group and smiled. "But I
think the chickin's best of all," he told them, "and next year I
expect a turkey, or a bit of bacon maybe."
"You never, never grow old, do you?" Judy asked. Her admiration was no
longer concealed. It seemed she saw him differently a little from the
others.
"Oh, jest a nice age," he said.
"You seem to know so much," she explained her question, "everything."
He laughed behind his tea-cup as he fingered the chicken on his lap.
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